In brief: Kidney disease can’t stop U.S. hurdler Aries Merritt
TRACK AND FIELD: When the doctors hooked Aries Merritt onto the dialysis machine two years ago, they told him his running days were over.
The doctors were focused on his kidneys. They never looked at his heart.
The American won a bronze medal in the 110-meter hurdles Friday night at the world championships at Beijing, – a victory he’ll have less than four days to celebrate. Next Tuesday, he’ll be on the operating table for a kidney transplant.
“This bronze medal means more to me than my Olympic gold,” said the 2012 Olympic champion, who also set the world record later that year. “If I was a normal human being, we might have seen a record, who knows? But the reality is, I’m not a normal human being.”
Racing at 164 pounds – 6 pounds lighter than when he set the world record – Merritt ran a near-perfect race Friday night, never touching a hurdle to finish in 13.04 seconds, 0.01 behind Hansle Parchment of Jamaica for second. Sergei Shubenkov of Russia took gold.
Watching at her brother’s house in Arizona was Merritt’s sister, LaToya Hubbard, who will join Merritt on the operating table Tuesday to donate her kidney.
Merritt was all smiles but he knows there are big challenges ahead.
“The trip home is probably going to be depressing, because I know I’m going home to have surgery, not hang out with my friends,” he said.
He said he’ll take the rehab slow, and when he’s cleared to run again, he’ll pretend like he’s starting over.
The Olympics are less than a year away.
“He’s getting a brand new kidney with a new lease on life,” his sister said. “He’s going to break that record again. I expect to see him in Rio.”
Another U.S. highlight was 30-year-old Tianna Bartoletta’s gold in the long jump at 22 feet, 9 3/4 inches – a victory that came 10 years after she won her other world title in that event.
Also, in the first day of the decathlon, American Ashton Eaton ran the 400 meters in 45 seconds flat, a world decathlon record, to take the lead and also get in the hunt to break his own world record of 9,039 points.
Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig lands on disabled list
Baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers put Yasiel Puig on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, the same injury that sidelined him earlier in the season.
• Giants put RHP Cain on 15-day DL: Giants right-hander Matt Cain has gone on the 15-day disabled list with irritation in his pitching elbow and received a cortisone injection to help it calm down.
San Francisco recalled rookie Chris Heston.
• Boston RHP Buchholz done for year: Boston pitcher Clay Buchholz is done for the season because of a strained flexor muscle in his right elbow, and his health is the key to whether the Red Sox pick up the option on his 2016 contract.
Milton-Jones breaks WNBA games record
WNBA: Atlanta forward DeLisha Milton-Jones broke the WNBA record for games played when she entered the Dream’s game against Indiana early in the second quarter Friday night.
It was the 497th game of Milton-Jones’ career, breaking a tie with Tina Thompson.
Spieth misses cut at Barclays, loses No. 1
GOLF: Jordan Spieth lost out on a chance to play the weekend at The Barclays at Edison, New Jersey.
He also lost his No. 1 ranking.
Bubba Watson, momentarily distracted by a rare warning for taking too long to play a shot, recovered with a birdie on the 18th hole at Plainfield Country Club for a 2-under 68 and a one-shot lead going into the weekend at the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.
• Tseng leads Yokohama Tire Classic: Yani Tseng closed with an eagle and a birdie for an 8-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic at Prattville, Alabama.
Tseng hit a 6-iron to 4 feet to set up the eagle on the par-5 eighth hole just before play was delayed for about 90 minutes because of lightning and rain, then took the outright lead on the par-4 ninth with her sixth birdie of the day.
• Goydos, Sauers lead Dick’s Sporting Goods Open: Paul Goydos and Gene Sauers shared the first-round lead at 6-under 66 in the Champions Tour’s Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, New York.
Good Luck Gus wins Albany at Saratoga
HORSE RACING: Good Luck Gus split horses in midstretch and outran pacesetter One Sided to the wire for a half-length victory in the $250,000 Albany at Saratoga Race Course at Saratoga Springs, New York.
Sudden Surprise was a front-running winner in the $200,000 Funny Cide; 18-1 shot Jc’s Shooting Star won the $200,000 Fleet Indian; She’s All Ready coasted to a win in the $200,000 Seeking the Ante; and The Tea Cups won the $150,000 Yaddo.
Rousey-Holm moved to UFC 193 on Nov. 14
MISCELLANY: Ronda Rousey’s next Ultimate Fighting Championship title defense will come Nov. 14 at UFC 193 in Australia instead of Jan. 2 in Las Vegas.
UFC President Dana White announced that welterweight champion Robbie Lawler injured his thumb Friday and was ruled out of his scheduled Nov. 14 title defense against Carlos Condit.
Rousey (12-0) will take on former professional boxing champion Holly Holm (9-0) as the main event at an outdoor stadium in Melbourne.
The UFC has yet to determine the new Jan. 2 main event.
• German sailor gets sick after Rio regatta: A German sailor has fallen ill and is getting daily hospital treatment for several infections after competing in polluted water at a test event for next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Heil finished third with partner Thomas Ploessel in the 49er class at the competition in Rio earlier this month.
• Lindeman pounces on mistake to win stage: Bert Jan Lindeman of Netherlands took advantage of a mistake by Jerome Cousin of France to sprint ahead and win the seventh stage of cycling’s Spanish Vuelta, while Esteban Chaves of Colombia retained the overall race-leader’s red jersey.